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Krispijn van den Dries

BioRomeo

Hi, I’m Krispijn van den Dries and I grow Demeter heirloom vegetables for Nature & More in The Netherlands (Noordoostpolder), together with my father and a few other growers in this area. We are specialized in colourful and rare varieties like purple and yellow carrots, wild potatoes, multi-colored beets, Jerusalem artichokes, horseradish and other culinary varieties. Some of these vegetables used to be familiar to our great-grandparents, but are now forgotten. We want to make them unforgettable!

In the meantime,Krispijn is working together with 32 farmers via BioRomeo in order to offer a wide range of fruits and vegetables from the Noordoostpolder and its surroundings. In the fertile clay ground of the polder, it is possible to grow nearly everything. The farmers take good care of the soil. Without soil there are no farmers and without farmers there is no food!

N&M: What do you like most about farming?

Krispijn: “I love to work with all the different colours and smells and tastes. Late spring, when everything is growing and the field are full with crops, is a great time. Everything is still fresh and untouched. But I also love the harvest time, when the products are standing in the boxes, ready to be shipped to the consumers. I like to ponder on the fact that this abundance is the result of a bit of our own work, and a lot of work by nature!”

N&M: You also have two pigs. Are they here for fun?

Krispijn: “No, we are a biodynamic Demeter farm. This means that we strive for locally closed nutrient cycles. Our two pigs enjoy a life in a secluded patch with shrubs and trees and we can feed them the leftovers of the harvest. In return they give us good manure that we can use in our compost. The farm waste that the pigs can’t eat, also goes to the compost. Nothing here is thrown away! But the presence of animals is also good for the general atmosphere of the farm. The pigs are very tame, and we take them for a walk regularly!”

Sustainability flower

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soil

Krispijn uses a very extensive crop rotation of 8 years, which makes for a very healthy, strong soil, full of life. He uses leguminous plants that provide nitrogen to the soil and he also makes his own compost. In this way Krispijn makes sure that the soil doesn’t lose any of its vitality over the years, on the contrary: it gets better and better.

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

Conventional cost: € 832
Organic benefit: € 317
=> Organic benefit for society: € 1.149

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

biodiversity

Apart from the farm pigs, who are occasionally taken for a walk, the diversity of this farm stimulates animal biodiversity in many ways. There is an “insect hotel” providing shelter and breeding places for all kinds of insects, wood fences, a stone wall built especially for small animals, beehives from a local beekeeper, a bat house, bird houses et cetera! The farm provides shelter for a rare kind of toad, moles, a church owl and numerous species of insects.

With 30 varieties of vegetables, this farm has great farm biodiversity. Apart from that there are many measures that stimulate natural biodiversity. There is a flower garden, a toad pool, and the sides of the water ditches are maintained in a way that stimulates plant diversity.

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

Conventional cost/benefit: unknown
Organic cost/benefit: unknown
=> Organic cost/benefit for society: unknown

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

individual

Parsnip is high in minerals and vitamins.
Pumpkins contain few calories and rich in fiber. Fiber is needed for good intestinal activity. Furthermore, pumpkins contain vitamin C, E, iron and calcium. In addition, pumpkins also contain beta-carotene, which is good for your eyes and skin.
Carrots are very important for small children in particular, because they help the blood circulation, dental development as well as the immune system.
Potatoes are actually vegetables but because they contain a lot of starch (carbohydrates) they are often placed in the same nutrition category as rice, pasta and bread.

Every year 20.000 to 340.000 farmworkers die of pesticide poisoning and 1 to 5 million farmworkers get sick from it. In organic cultivation no chemical-synthetic pesticides are used and significantly less pesticide residues are found on organic products in the store. Research indicates (Fantke & Jolliet, 2016) that this also has a health effect for consumers. In short, we can say with confidence that organic fruits and vegetables, on the average, are healthier. And that also goes for our organic pumpkins, parsnip and other products.

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

Conventional cost: € 4
Organic cost: € 0
=> Organic benefit for society: € 4

society

Freedom of the mind means the possibility for personal and cultural development. Krispijn’s farm is totally designed to stimulate just that for its health care clients. Every client has his own favorite product and task. Some love to wash the pumpkins, one client likes nothing better than turning the compost. And there’s one onion planter, Krispijn tells. ”He literally gives every onion a kiss, before he puts it in the ground.” The farm also educates its wider environment: it provides excursions to schools, an educational walking path and a yearly open house.

Solidarity is about acknowledging the basic needs of other people and helping them to fulfill them. The farm provides jobs to people who elsewhere often get very little to do. On Krispijns farm they have tasks that they enjoy, a safe and healthy environment and great organic meals. There is a lot of interaction with local restaurant and consumers who come to the farm store. Krispijn also frequently sponsors local events.

Justice is about treating people equally and with respect for human rights. In this farm all kinds of different people work together harmoniously. The social care clients are treated with great respect; everyone is stimulated to explore his own possibilities. In the client council they can vent their own opinions and wishes. Every client has a personal coach and they have regular conversations. Equality is really at the heart of this farm.

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

Conventional cost/benefit: unknown
Organic cost/benefit: unknown
=> Organic cost/benefit for society: unknown

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

climate

The farm use relatively little fossil fuel, because most of the work is done by hand by the social care clients. For example, the carrots and pumpkins are all washed by hand. Of course no pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used, which also saves energy.

The green manure and compost (see “soil” section) work together to reduce methane emissions and increase carbon sequestration in the soil. Fossil fuel use is relatively low. All this makes for relatively low carbon emissions.

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

Conventional cost: € 1987
Organic cost: € 1862
=> Organic benefit for society: € 125

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

water

Holland has no water shortage. Krispijn uses rain water and water from a local source. There is no pollution and the clayey soil and green cover prevent washing out of nutrients. Because the soil is so healthy, it has excellent water holding properties.

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

Conventional cost: € 214
Organic cost: € 85
=> Organic benefit for society: € 129

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

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Krispijn van den Dries

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True Cost of Food for these carrots*

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

True Cost of Food for these carrots*

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